Register of Deeds has birth records from 1913<br> marriage records from 1853, divorce records from 1750<br> and court records from 1770<ref name="HBG">''Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'', 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Ashe County, North Carolina p. 506. {{WorldCat|50140092|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|1049485|item|disp=FHL Book 973 D27e 2002}}.</ref>

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The line between Virginia and North Carolina was established in 1749 by a surveying party led by Peter Jefferson, thus establishing the northern border of what became Ashe County. The first recorded visit to the area occurred in 1752 when Bishop Augustus Spangenberg, head of the Moravian Church of America, came, looking for 100,000 acres of land upon which to settle.

The line between Virginia and North Carolina was established in 1749 by a surveying party led by Peter Jefferson, thus establishing the northern border of what became Ashe County. The first recorded visit to the area occurred in 1752 when Bishop Augustus Spangenberg, head of the Moravian Church of America, came, looking for 100,000 acres of land upon which to settle.

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The area that became Ashe County was part of Anson County during the early period; part of Rowan County in 1753, Surry County in 1771, Wilkes County in 1777 and was briefly part of the State of Franklin from 1784-89. After Franklin it was claimed as part of Washington County (part of the Southwest Territory, and later Tennessee) until it was annexed back by North Carolina into Wilkes County again in 1792.<ref>Arthur L. Fletcher, ''Ashe County: A History'' (Jefferson, N.C.: Ashe County Research Assoc., 1963), 33-34.</ref>

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The area that became Ashe County was part of Anson County during the early colonial period, part of Rowan County in 1753, Surry County in 1771, Wilkes County in 1777 and, from 1784-1789, was part of the State of Franklin.

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Ashe County was incorporated as a separate entity by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1799.&nbsp;The county was named for Samuel Ashe, a Revolutionary War patriot, Governor of North Carolina, and superior court judge. The county seat of Jefferson, the first town in the nation to be named for [http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson/ Thomas Jefferson], was also established in 1799. Thomas Jefferson was Vice-President of the United States at the time.<br>

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After being associated with the State of Franklin. the territory was claimed as part of Washington County which, in turn, was a part of the Southwest Territory, and later Tennessee. This was the case until it was annexed back by North Carolina into Wilkes County again in 1792.<ref>Arthur L. Fletcher, ''Ashe County: A History'' (Jefferson, N.C.: Ashe County Research Assoc., 1963), 33-34.</ref>

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Jefferson, the county seat, was platted in 1803. The courthouse was destroyed in 1865.

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Ashe County was incorporated as a separate entity by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1799.&nbsp;The county was named for Samuel Ashe, a Revolutionary War patriot, Governor of North Carolina, and superior court judge.

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Ashe County is the northwestern-most county in the state of North Carolina, and covers 427 square miles.&nbsp;The county seat is the city of Jefferson, established in 1799. This was the first city in America to be named for [http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/thomasjefferson/ Thomas Jefferson].&nbsp;He was Vice-President of the United States at the time.<br>

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Jefferson, the county seat, was platted in 1803. An early courthouse was destroyed in 1865. The old 1904 courthouse is now a historic landmark in Jefferson.

See also:

See also:

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==== Parent County ====

==== Parent County ====

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'''1799''' -- Ashe County was created 18 November 1799 from [[Wilkes County, North Carolina|Wilkes]] County. '''County seat:''' Jefferson <ref name="Handybook">''The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'',10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).</ref>

'''1799''' -- Ashe County was created 18 November 1799 from [[Wilkes County, North Carolina|Wilkes]] County. '''County seat:''' Jefferson <ref name="Handybook">''The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America'',10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).</ref>

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==== Record Loss ====

==== Record Loss ====

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'''1865 -- '''The Ashe County Courthouse in Jefferson was destroyed by fire in 1865. Many of the records survived.

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'''1865 -- '''The Ashe County Courthouse in Jefferson was destroyed by fire in 1865. Many of the records survived.

*Fletcher, James Floyd. ''A History of the Ashe County, North Carolina and New River, Virginia Baptist Associations''. 1982. ([http://books.google.com/books?id=ZA2tPgAACAAJ&dq=%22A+History+of+the+Ashe+County%22&hl=en&ei=3HKTTZS0EouDtgfiq6lV&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ Google Books link], no preview)

*Fletcher, James Floyd. ''A History of the Ashe County, North Carolina and New River, Virginia Baptist Associations''. 1982. ([http://books.google.com/books?id=ZA2tPgAACAAJ&dq=%22A+History+of+the+Ashe+County%22&hl=en&ei=3HKTTZS0EouDtgfiq6lV&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAQ Google Books link], no preview)

*Stafford, Garland R. ''Methodism in Ashe County, North Carolina from the Beginning to 1961.'' 1974. ([http://books.google.com/books?id=wU_7GwAACAAJ&dq=%22Methodism+in+Ashe+County%22&hl=en&ei=F3OTTcbkPMiBtgfsi91c&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ Google Books link], no preview)

*Stafford, Garland R. ''Methodism in Ashe County, North Carolina from the Beginning to 1961.'' 1974. ([http://books.google.com/books?id=wU_7GwAACAAJ&dq=%22Methodism+in+Ashe+County%22&hl=en&ei=F3OTTcbkPMiBtgfsi91c&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ Google Books link], no preview)

*Goss, Bernard. ''The Heritage of Ashe County, North Carolina''. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Ashe County Heritage Book Committee in cooperation with the History Division of Hunter Publishing Co., 1984. [http://www.worldcat.org/title/heritage-of-ashe-county-north-carolina/oclc/11608940&referer=brief_results WorldCat]

*Goss, Bernard. ''The Heritage of Ashe County, North Carolina''. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Ashe County Heritage Book Committee in cooperation with the History Division of Hunter Publishing Co., 1984. [http://www.worldcat.org/title/heritage-of-ashe-county-north-carolina/oclc/11608940&referer=brief_results WorldCat]

:- [[4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate)|4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate)]]. Company B.<ref>[http://www.ranger95.com/civil_war/virginia/cavalry/virginia_state_line_organ.html The Virginia State Line: Organizational Structure of the Virginia State Line], ''Ranger95.com,'' accessed 11 June 2012.</ref>

*The [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncashe/ Ashe County NCGenWeb] Project, a member of The [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncgenweb/ NCGenWeb] Project, an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]]<br>

*The [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncashe/ Ashe County NCGenWeb] Project, a member of The [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncgenweb/ NCGenWeb] Project, an affiliate of [[USGenWeb|The USGenWeb Project]]<br>

Brief History

The line between Virginia and North Carolina was established in 1749 by a surveying party led by Peter Jefferson, thus establishing the northern border of what became Ashe County. The first recorded visit to the area occurred in 1752 when Bishop Augustus Spangenberg, head of the Moravian Church of America, came, looking for 100,000 acres of land upon which to settle.

The area that became Ashe County was part of Anson County during the early colonial period, part of Rowan County in 1753, Surry County in 1771, Wilkes County in 1777 and, from 1784-1789, was part of the State of Franklin.

After being associated with the State of Franklin. the territory was claimed as part of Washington County which, in turn, was a part of the Southwest Territory, and later Tennessee. This was the case until it was annexed back by North Carolina into Wilkes County again in 1792.[2]

Ashe County was incorporated as a separate entity by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1799. The county was named for Samuel Ashe, a Revolutionary War patriot, Governor of North Carolina, and superior court judge.

Ashe County is the northwestern-most county in the state of North Carolina, and covers 427 square miles. The county seat is the city of Jefferson, established in 1799. This was the first city in America to be named for Thomas Jefferson. He was Vice-President of the United States at the time.

Jefferson, the county seat, was platted in 1803. An early courthouse was destroyed in 1865. The old 1904 courthouse is now a historic landmark in Jefferson.

Genealogies and Biographies

Ham, Roy. Oral History Interview with Roy Ham, 1977, Interview H-0123-1, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007). Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 2007. Documenting the American South (complete text and audio)

Local Histories

County histories often provide important details of events and people of the local area. They often list such things as the names of first settlers, dates of settlement of communities, names of those who served in military organizations, details about the establishment of churches and businesses in the county and its towns, and many other facts helpful to the genealogist and family historian.

Anderson-Green, Paula Hathaway. A Hot-Bed of Musicians: Traditional Music in the Upper New River Valley (discusses Ashe County folk musicians and briefly mentions their family connections). Google Books

Arthur, John Preston. Western North Carolina: A History (from 1730 to 1913), Raleigh, North Carolina: Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, 1914. Google Books

Cooper, Leland R. and Mary Lee Cooper. The People of the New River: Oral Histories from the Ashe, Alleghany, and Watauga Counties of North Carolina. McFarland, 2001. Google Books | publisher | WorldCat

Cox, A.B., Footprints on the Sands of Time: A History of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern North Carolina, Sparta, North Carolina: Star Publishing Company, 1900. New River Notes (complete text)

Goss, Bernard. The Heritage of Ashe County, North Carolina. Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Ashe County Heritage Book Committee in cooperation with the History Division of Hunter Publishing Co., 1984. WorldCat

Oral History Interview with Roy Ham, 1977, Interview H-0123-1, Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007). Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 2007. Documenting the American South (complete text and audio)

People from Ashe County, North Carolina, General Books, 2010. Google Books

Reeves, Eleanor Baker. A Factual History of Early Ashe County, North Carolina: Its People, Places and Events. 1986.

War of 1812

Civil War (1861-1865)

Crawford, Martin. Ashe County's Civil War: Community and Society in the Appalachian South (Nation Divided: New Studies in Civil War History). University of Virginia Press, 2001. Google Books page (with preview)

World War I (1917-1918)

Bickett, Thomas Walter. The Ashe County Case. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina, 2002. WorldCat

World War I draft registration cards, 1917-1918, for Ashe County have been microfilmed. Copies of these records are available at the Family History Library (their microfilm number 1765559) and are also available online at Ancestry.com, for a subscription fee. The original cards are maintained in the Southeast Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in East Point, Georgia and have been microfilmed by the National Archives as their Microcopy M1509.